I hate figuring out titles
I had an appointment with both the teacher certification program and a return visit to the career center today. Interesting stuff. The results from the battery of occupational preference tests the career center gave me were in, and I learned quite a bit, both from those and from the teacher certification appointment.
I don't think I will be considering a position as a high school teacher quite so highly anymore.
First of all, I felt slightly uncomfortable when talking with the teacher certification person. I sound very elitist to myself when saying this, but I am almost overqualified for the field I was considering entering. While I don't want to stink at what I do, neither do I wish to feel like I am not using my abilities to their fullest. The expectations for the program are a lot lower than my own personal expectations. You don't even need a degree in the field you are teaching. I felt something almost sinking inside when I realized his proposal that I drop physics, enroll in the teachers program, and gain certification in math and computer science was the most reasonable way to become a teacher. I'm not certain I could make myself drop physics, I'm more likely to add another major or minor I think than drop anything. Which is a convenient lead in to my next meeting at the career center.
At the career center the results of various tests were in and while I was going to make a lj cut and post the results I am too lazy. The applicable part of all the tests is that I am broadly, yet highly, interested in several fields and teaching was probably an attempt to work in all those fields at once. However, my social skills are too lacking and I am too deeply interested in the subjects for teaching to be truly satisfying. The Strong Interest Inventory lists my interests to be very similar (which is as close as they measure) to Chemist, Computer Programmer/Systems Analyst, Mathematician, Physicist, Engineer, Actuary, Mathematics Teacher, Radiological Technologist, Research and Development Manager, Biologist. I'm already a Computer Science and Physics double major, considering adding a Math minor, and I do admit to having entertained the possibility on more than one occasion of pursuing a chemistry degree.
I think where I go now is finding jobs in physics which are interesting and will let me put my computer knowledge to use. I'm also considering chemistry as a future possibility (to be pursued while working, I do wish to graduate which is what brought all this thinking on). As a strongly multi-disciplinarian field nanotechnology is very appealing. I've applied to an REU in Austin dealing with it as noted before. If I'm lucky I'll get that and it will hopefully help me decide.
I don't think I will be considering a position as a high school teacher quite so highly anymore.
First of all, I felt slightly uncomfortable when talking with the teacher certification person. I sound very elitist to myself when saying this, but I am almost overqualified for the field I was considering entering. While I don't want to stink at what I do, neither do I wish to feel like I am not using my abilities to their fullest. The expectations for the program are a lot lower than my own personal expectations. You don't even need a degree in the field you are teaching. I felt something almost sinking inside when I realized his proposal that I drop physics, enroll in the teachers program, and gain certification in math and computer science was the most reasonable way to become a teacher. I'm not certain I could make myself drop physics, I'm more likely to add another major or minor I think than drop anything. Which is a convenient lead in to my next meeting at the career center.
At the career center the results of various tests were in and while I was going to make a lj cut and post the results I am too lazy. The applicable part of all the tests is that I am broadly, yet highly, interested in several fields and teaching was probably an attempt to work in all those fields at once. However, my social skills are too lacking and I am too deeply interested in the subjects for teaching to be truly satisfying. The Strong Interest Inventory lists my interests to be very similar (which is as close as they measure) to Chemist, Computer Programmer/Systems Analyst, Mathematician, Physicist, Engineer, Actuary, Mathematics Teacher, Radiological Technologist, Research and Development Manager, Biologist. I'm already a Computer Science and Physics double major, considering adding a Math minor, and I do admit to having entertained the possibility on more than one occasion of pursuing a chemistry degree.
I think where I go now is finding jobs in physics which are interesting and will let me put my computer knowledge to use. I'm also considering chemistry as a future possibility (to be pursued while working, I do wish to graduate which is what brought all this thinking on). As a strongly multi-disciplinarian field nanotechnology is very appealing. I've applied to an REU in Austin dealing with it as noted before. If I'm lucky I'll get that and it will hopefully help me decide.